Today I'm going to challenge traditional thinking about baby change areas, or just prove how offbeat my thinking is. I like having the infant change area on the floor! It's safer for the child and makes the transition for the child to self-dressing that little bit easier. There are two main barriers to having the infant's change area on the floor; it's important to keep some creams, wipes etc out of the reach of the child and many parents have physical restrictions that prevent them from being able to comfortably change a baby on the floor (usually back or knee problems). 

I also don't like any big or tall furniture in the infant's room. I like having everything at the child's height including low cupboards and shelves. The infant's room (if you have a Montessori nursery or floor bed) needs to be 110% child safe and although dressers and such can be secured to the wall I prefer not to have them there at all. I know some Montessori parents have the change area in the bathroom which removes the need for a change table in the child's room, which if you have the space, can make a lot of sense. 

As soon as the child begins to walk we begin toilet learning and this when we have moved the change area out of the child's room and near the bathroom. Here are a few infant change areas that I really like!

1. At Kid Level - This is a change area for a 12-month-old, it includes a change pad, a small chair for dressing, a shelf with diapers and a comb and brush, and a laundry bag. It's really simple but so practical. So perfect and all on the child's level. 

2.  Deliberate Parenting - A Montessori inspired accessible diapering area. This cupboard has doors that close. 

3. Otis' change area at How we Montessori. 

4. Jean Jean - Montessori floor bed and change area on floor for an infant at five months. 

5. Racheous at How we Montessori.

6. The Free Child - This change area is on a dresser but I love the comfortable wool cover and the black and white images on the wall. 

I've seen a few Montessori change mats (on change tables and dressers) with mobiles that hang above the child. This could work if the child had time to concentrate on the mobile but I wouldn't want to break the child's concentration when it was time to finish and to put the child down from the change table, and for safety reasons you couldn't just leave the child there to finish their work with the mobile. I love the idea of having high contrast images or for an older child visually appealing images for them to focus on but again I wouldn't want to break the child's concentration. Please feel free to leave your thoughts on what change area set up has worked best for you!